City Slang

City Slang: Whitey Morgan at the Machine Shop and the Magic Bag

Outlaw country locals and all-round bad boys Whitey Morgan & the 78’s will play the Machine Shop in their hometown of Flint on July 13 from 7 p.m. The very next night, July 14, the band will play the Magic Bag in Ferndale from 8 p.m. Cover for both shows is $10.

“I’ve been through every kind of band there is, from rock to metal to indie rock – I’ve played every kind of music,” Morgan once told us in interview. “Obviously, country is where it all started but it’s hard for me to say that this is a country band because it’s not just a country band. If people hear it when we play live, it definitely has a rock energy. Coming from Detroit, there’s always going to be a little bit of rock in there. For me to give an authentic interpretation of what I’m trying to do, I can never say that it’s just country. That’s not where I completely come from. I can’t go to Texas and tell them that we’re a country band because they can tell by how loud we are on stage that there’s something else going on. We’re from Detroit, and you can’t get away from where you come from. So I would say that we’re country with a rock edge.”

Now they say, “Since the release of their first album Honky Tonks and Cheap Motels, Whitey and the band have revived a forgotten genre with a fierce dedication and determination. They’ve toured the country spreading their sound and real deal vibe everywhere they go. They play honky-tonk tunes in any club in any town without apology and with a purpose. Look out, this bad news sounds real good.”